Stream feeder device



Sept. 23, 1958 HQ w. FAEBER 2,853,297

STREAM FEEDER DEVICE Filed April 22, 1954 3 Sheets-Shee t 1 INVENTOR HARRY W. FAEBER.

HIS ATTORNEYS.

Sept. 23, 1958 H. w. FAEBER 2,853,297

' STREAM FEEDER DEVICE Filed April 22, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

HARRY W. FAEBER 09 .MMYM

H IS ATTORNEYS Sept. 23, 1958 H. w. FAEBER STREAM FEEDER DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 22, 1954 R O T N E V m HARRY W. FAEBER United States atent STREAM FEEDER DEVICE Harry :W. Faeher; Larchmont, N; Y., assignor" to Time, Incorporated,--New'Y0rk,- N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April-22, 1954, Serial No.424,929'

7 Claims. (Cl: 271-11)- This device relatesto" improvements in devices for feeding "sheet material" and it're'lates"particularly'to an improved "form of mechanism for feeding signatures to gathering machines; inserters; stufiingmachines, collating machineyandthe like;

Many devices have beenprovided heretoforefo-r feed= ing signatures (printed sheets orgroupsof printed sheets folded to forma plurality of pages'cf a book, mega zine or the like) to the various types of machines used for assemblingthesignaturesinto books, magazines, periodicals and the like. The prior machines have included grippers bymeans of'which the signatures are'withdrawn from the bottom or front-of a stack with the assistance ofsuitable suction fingers and carried into a position to "be dropped on a conveyor or' other device in which the signatures are assembled. limited in their speed becauseof the reciprocating grippers which have to perform an empty return stroke to pick upthe next signature, which introduces unproductive time" into the cycle of operation.

The'present invention involves an improved-feeding mechanism by means of which a continuous stream of overlapping signatures can be fed to a receiving conveyor or-the like while operating atrelatively low speed. The new mechanism utilizes a plurality of grippers which perform the feeding function while rotating continuously, thus eliminating the idle return time.

For a better understanding of thepresent invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a view partly in section'and partly in elevation-of the feeding mechanism-of a feeding device embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of one gripping me'mberof the feeding mechanism disclosing details there-- of and;

Figs;.3 to 10 are schematic illustrations of the procedural steps and operations involved-inthe feeding of the signatures from a stack thereof.

The invention will: bedescribedwithreference to its use i in conjunction with elements which are conventional in the art and have been used heretofore in connectionwith signature feeding mechanisms.- For example, as shown in Figsfi to 10,-inclusive, it is old to provide a chute or pocket it for receiving a stack of signatures, the. pocket havingan end flange 11 against which the folded ends of. the signatures" S S S etc. rest and inwardly projecting pins 12..along thebottom edge of the flange which support the. folded edges of the signatures. The chute also has a bottom plate 13 which extends from its rear edge to a suction roll 14 that aids in withdrawing the signatures. as explained hereinafter. Also cooperating with the mechanism described above are pairs of suction fingerslS and 16 of partly conventional type. The suction finger 15,"as shown in Fig.3, is advancedbeneath the bottom signature S and suction is applied to the suction opening 17 therein for engaging the bottom signature S The finger then rocks topull the folded edge of The prior devices are ice the signatures downwardly past the pins 12, as shown in Fig. 5. In the meantimey'the suction finger 16 ad'-' vances to hold the" next signature S against downward movement. lnconjunc'tion with the-suction roller 14} thesignature S is directeddownwardly by the novel curved undersurface 16a of the finger "16, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 into thegripper member '20 on "the feed roller 21, forming the novel structure of the present invention. It will be seen that the suction fingers'lS and 1d gyrate relativeto the chute10 and alternately pick off the lowermost "signature-and "direct it downwardly 'to" be engaged by a gripper member-'20 for removal fromthe stack and delivery to the "conveyor 22 or' the like shownin Fig. 1. The mechanism described'abovmwith the-ex ception of the curved underside and alternateactionof fingers'15 and 16,-the feed roller 21 and thegrippers Zil-threon; isconventional; The feed roller'21 maybe one or more cylinders or disks" 2oneach of whicha plurality ofth'e grippers Qti are mounted. As-shown in-Figl l, a typical feed rollerfil-mayinclude six grippers'20'j20ti; Zilb; 20c, Ztdfand 2tlei'allof which "-are'-essentially identical sothat onlyone-of them'will'bedescribed herein. For-example,- the "gripper 20 'includes a pain of gripping jaws-25 and '26 which have" elongated arms and in'-tu'rned-outer ends27 and 28 for gripping-the folded edge ofa signature: Meshing gear segments 29 andfitharc formed 'on the grippers 25 'and 26 at" their inner ends so that they-"rock"simultaneously toward and away "from-each other. The'grippe'r arm =26 -is mounted on the' 'disk 23'- byineans of a screw threaded "stud 31 which' extend's through a generally oval-shaped "mounting bl oc'k' 32",- and an'o'p'ening'33 in the jaw 26' 'conc'entric- Withth gearlitl' and i s threaded in an internally thre'ade'd' hole fid inthe disk-23L hi this way, the'arm' ZG' andthe block- 32 can "rock relativeto the screw- 31" when '-it"istightened down.-

An unthre'aded-pin' fifi 'passe's through'ahdle 36 i n the jaw 25 concentric with thegearsegment 29; through a hole 37 'in the-block 32 throughan elongated =hole '38 in a. camfollowermember39 and-the-endof thepin 35 is received in the hu'b 40 of a lever 41-: The jaw 25 and the lever '41- arese'cur'ed non-rotatably to the pin 135 byr means of suitable cross pins 42 and 43 so tha'f they'mo've together but' can rotate relative to the mcun'ting bl'ock 32- and th'e cam follower arm-39.. i

The cam follower arm 39 isprovided with a hub 45 which rotatably'receives'the smooth shanlcid of a screwed stud '47 which is threaded into anopenin'g rtb -inthe disk so-that the cam follower hub 45' isv rotatablerelative to thi3 Stlld-47L Theicam follower 39-has an elongated. arm of arcuatershape containing the elongatediopening': 38 and carries at its o-uterenda rotatable fo-llower roller 49 'whichis secured to..it by means of a .stud

Another cam follower' membenSIl which: has. an open ing 52 therein in alignment with the hub dS is movably carried by thescrew 'so that: the two cam followers 39 and Steam move relatively. The cam follower 51 also-has:

a follower-roller ES-mounted on a stud- 54 and= has a pin or shaft 55 extendingbeneath the'leverarm 41..

ThejaW-ZS-isbiasedin a clockwise direction-and: the:

jaw- 26 ina counter-clockwisedirection by means of a coiled-spring -otl which is-connected'between a pin fi'L onauthe back of the arm 25 and a pin 62 threaded in a hole.- 63 inthefldisk 23. V

A spring 65 extendingbetween a pin- 66 on :the..under-. side of the. arm and an" anchor pin 67: fixed-to. the disk. 23- biasesthe cam follower 39 in a counterclockwisedirection. The cam --follower 39 cooperates with a cam disk 7(l coaxial with but spaced from the end of the. disk 23" and the camfollower 51' cooperates with a similar coa'xial cam? disk71. The cam disk' 7tl 'is provided throughout" about "ofits periphery with I a raised 3 lobe 70a while the remainder 70b of the edge of the cam is essentially circular except for the rise and fall to and from the raised lobe.

A similar raised cam lobe 71a extends through about 60 of the arc of the cam 71.

The cams 70 and 71 are maintained stationary by supporting them on a fixed shaft 72 while the disk 23 is rotated to cause the grippers 20 to 20s to move through a circular path. The disk 23 may be rotated by a gear, pulley or sprocket (not shown) mounted on its back and driven in geared relationship to the fingers and 16 to synchronize them.

Usually, two of the feed members 21 will be mounted in spaced relation on the shaft 72 to engage each signature at spaced points along its folded edges. As shown in Fig. 1, the gripper 20 is in such a position that the follower rollers 49 and 51 engage the crests or lobes 70a and 71a of the cams. In this position, the follower 51 is rocked clockwise so that the pin 55 thereon raises the lever 41 and rotates it counter-clockwise. Counter-clockwise rotation of the lever 41, in turn, rotates the jaw counter-clockwise because they are connected together by the pin 35. Due to the geared relation of the jaws 25 and 26, the jaw 26 is rocked clockwise about its supporting pin 21 so that the jaws are open. When the gripper 20 advances to a position'corresponding to the position of the gripper 20a, the cam follower roller 53 of arm 51 is off the lobe 71a thereby moving arm 51 in a counter-clockwise direction. Such movement of the cam follower 51 allows the spring 60 to move the lever 41 and the jaw 25 in a clockwise direction.

Inasmuch as the jaws 25 and 26 are connected by the gear segments 29 and 30, the jaws 25 and 26 close and engage the end of a signature S for example. Further movement of the disk 21 brings the gripper 20 to the position shown and corresponding to the position of the gripper member 20b. In this position, the follower roller 49 has moved off of the lobe 70a of the cam 70 and is in engagement with the low portion of the cam. Due to the action of the spring 65, the follower 39 has been rocked in a counter-clockwise direction and by engagement with the pin has caused both of the gripper fingers 25 and 26 to pivot backwardly around the axis of the pin 31 thereby canting the entire gripper assembly rearwardly to prevent creasing and tearing of the signature S for example.

Continued movement of the disk 21 brings the gripper finger 20 to the position corresponding to the gripper 20d. In this position, the cam follower roll 53 moves up onto the crest 75 of an adjustable segment 76 of the cam 71 a sufficient distance to rock the lever 41 slightly in a counter-clockwise direction and thereby move the finger 25 counter-clockwise and the finger 26 clockwise to open them and allow the signature to be diverted downward by guide 22a and drop onto the conveyor 22. The gripper fingers remain in this relation until they return to the position of the gripper 20, shown in Fig. 1 ready for another cycle of operations.

There will be seen from the description of the arrangement of the gripper fingers on the drum 21 and their cycle of operation that a plurality of such signatures are at all times engaged and held by the gripper fingers in overlapping relation so that a continuous stream of the signatures can be fed by the new feeding mechanism. Inasmuch as they are fed in overlapping relation, it will be apparent that the new feeding mechanism is capable of feeding them at much higher rates than the prior devices in which the signatures are fed in endto-end relation, with substantial gaps in between. In this way, it is possible to feed the signatures faster without increasing the speed of the feed mechanism or the feed member 21 can be rotated slower than the feeders of the prior devices while feeding an equal number of signatures.

It will be understood that the device may be used with many different types of apparatuses to which signatures,

4 sheets or the like are fed for treatment therein. It will be understood also that the number of grippers 20, 2011, etc., may be varied as may be desired and that other changes in form, size and proportions may be made without departing from the invention. Therefore, the form of the invention described herein should be considered as illustrative and not as limiting the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A device for feeding signatures and the like comprising means for successively freeing one edge of successive signatures in stack, a rotary member, a plurality of grippers spaced angularly around the periphery of said rotary member, each gripper including a pair of jaws movable relative to said rotary member and to each other to open and closed positions, means to rotate said rotary member, cam means for opening and closing said jaws in response to rotation of said rotary member to grip the freed edges of successive signatures and advance them in overlapping relation to a place of discharge, means supporting said grippers for rocking movement relative to said rotary member and cam means for moving said grippers between a substantially radial position on said rotary member and a rearwardly inclined position with relation to the direction of rotation of said rotary member to avoid tearing said signatures.

2. The device set forth in claim 1 in which the spacing between said gripping members is less than the length of said signatures thereby to advance the signatures in overlapping relation to the place of discharge.

3. A device for feeding signatures and the like, comprising a rotary member, a plurality of grippers mounted in angularly spaced relation around the periphery of said rotary member, each gripper comprising a pair of jaws, pivot means fixed to said rotary member supporting one of said jaws for rocking movement, a supporting member pivotally mounted on said pivot means, means supporting the other jaw for rocking movement on said supporting member, gear means connecting said jaws for relative rocking movement into open and closed positions, a first cam member adjacent to said rotary member, first cam follower means pivotally mounted on said rotary member and engaging said first cam member, said first cam follower means being connected to one of said jaws and responsive to relative movement between said rotary member and said first cam member for opening and closing said jaws, a second cam member adjacent to said rotary member and a second cam follower member pivotally mounted on said rotary member and connected to said supporting member for rocking it and the jaws relative to said rotary member in response to relative movement between said rotary member and said second cam member.

4. The device set forth in claim 3 in which said first and second cam members are fixed in position.

5. The device set forth in claim 3 comprising spring means normally biasing said jaws to closed position and biasing said first cam follower member against said first cam member.

6. A device for feeding signatures and the like comprising means for successively freeing one edge of successive signatures in stack, a rotary member, a plurality of grippers spaced angularly around the periphery of said rotary member, each gripper including a pair of jaws movable relative to said rotary member and to each other to open and closed positions, meshing gear segments on said jaws connecting them for relative movement, means to rotate said rotary member, cam means for opening and closing said jaws in response to rotation of said rotary member to grip the freed edges of successive signatures and advance them in overlapping relation to a place of discharge, cam follower means engaging said cam means and connected with said jaws for moving them, means supporting said grippers for bodily movement between 21 substantially radial position on said rotary memher and a rearwardly inclined position with relation to the direction of rotation of said rotary member, and a cam and cam follower member for rocking said grippers to said position.

7. A device for feeding signatures and the like comprising means for supporting a stack of signatures, means adjacent to said stack supporting means for freeing one edge of successive signatures from said supporting means, a rotary member, means supporting said rotary member for rotation with a portion of its periphery adjacent to said stack supporting means and to the free edges of said signatures and with the lowermost signature substantially tangent to said periphery portion, a plurality of gripping members angularly spaced around the periphery of said rotary member, said gripping members being spaced apart a distance less than the length of said signatures, each gripping member having jaws relatively movable between open position and closed position, means for rotating said rotary member to move the gripping members toward said stack supporting means and substantially in opposition to the free edges of said signatures, and means responsive to rotation of said rotary member for opening and closing said jaws to grip the free edges of a plurality of said successive signatures while they are at least partially on said stack supporting means and withdraw them from said stack supporting means and advance them in overlapping relation to a place of discharge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,715,993 Cummings June 4, 1929 2,251,943 Kleineberg Aug. 12, 1941 2,629,323 Baumgardner Feb. 24, 1953 

